


To Have And to Hold

by Sounddrive



Series: The Vows Arc [1]
Category: Transformers Animated (2007)
Genre: Cybertron, Cybertronian, Cybertronians - Freeform, F/M, First (and Second) in Flight, Gen, M/M, Multi, Mythical Season 4, Post-First (and Second) in Flight, Post-Season/Series 03, Season/Series 02, Season/Series 03, Season/Series 04, TF OCs, TFA - Freeform, TFOCs - Freeform, The Elite Guard, Transformers: Animated - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-01
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-10-26 12:40:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10786932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sounddrive/pseuds/Sounddrive
Summary: There is trouble brewing on the Outer Rim of the Autobot's territory.That however, is in the back of Melody's mind as she's going through the motions of her life, not to mention a traumatic anniversary on the horizon. Memories of the Great War reverberate through everyone she knows and loves, but this one is a little too close to home.When the High Council and Ultra Magnus assign Sentinel and Jazz to personally bring her the most unexpected assignment of a lifetime, it flips her world upside-down yet again. She'll have to face her anxieties and the rumblings of war on the horizon, whether or not she's ready for it.[Next Estimated Update: TBA]





	1. Prolouge

**Author's Note:**

> (Taken from: 'Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac')
> 
> Measurements of Time: Nanoklik: ≈ 1 Earth Second; Cycle: ≈ 1.5 Earth Minutes; Megacycle: ≈ 2.6 Earth Hours; Solar Cycle: ≈ About A Day; Deca-Cycle: ≈ About 10 Days; Orbital Cycle: ≈ A Month; Stellar Cycle: ≈ A Year
> 
> Measurements of Distance: Mechanometer: ≈ 1 Meter; Hic: ≈ 1 Kilometer
> 
> Measurements of Weight: Standard Unit: ≈ 1 Kilogram; Kilounit: ≈ 454 standard Units

Sentinel Prime wasn’t ‘digging’ this idea. Ultra Magnus and the Council had already signed off on it, so he didn’t have a choice. Nevertheless, the Elite Guardsmech felt that this was a bit overzealous. I mean, really? Going to a civilian for oversight of two Elite Guard cadets? Well, two cadets that laid waste to the majority of the training grounds—but the fact they needed to go to a civilian for oversight!?

Sentinel had remarked that this was an unorthodox conclusion on how to proceed. The Council rebutted that the twins were wholly unorthodox in the method of coming to the Elite Guard, not to mention the destruction they caused in the first place. Ultra Magnus had to pound the base of his hammer into the platform he stood on, lest another argument break out between everyone in the room. From there, Sentinel’s concerns were filed away to be reviewed, at least for now.

Because of the sensitive nature of the twins’ training (and at the discretion of wary Iaconian citizens), Sentinel Prime and Jazz were tasked to walk Jetfire and Jetstorm to the civilian’s home. This was a house call, and already Sentinel felt like this should’ve been tasked to a Minor, not a Prime like himself.

Jazz, the lucky bot, had gone on ahead to forewarn the civilian that they were to expect guests. Sentinel found it odd that they hadn’t been notified beforehand, but again, bots had more important things to do.

To top it all off, this civilian lived on the outskirts of Iacon. Walking there would take the better half of a megacycle from Fortress Maximus. This meant that Jetfire, Jetstorm and himself would have to take the old passageways from the Great War, and those weren't accessible by vehicle mode either. They'd have to do it by the bottoms of their landing pads.

After walking a good few hics or so, Sentinel, Jetfire and Jetstorm popped out of their chosen passageway into the heart of what some bots called 'Old Iacon'. Despite efforts to restore the area, this was downtown. It was old, and with remnants of the scars from the Great War.

The Prime's armor rattled a little as they passed by a few abandoned buildings. It reminded him of the location of Optimus's "base" back in that...that one city in that one place on that mud ball of a planet.

 _Geez_ , who could live in an area like this?

“Mister Sentinel Prime, sir?”

“Yes, Jetfire?” Sentinel replied. He kept his scanners alert as they walked, in case anyone tried to jump them.

“Where going?”

The bot stopped in his tracks so abruptly the twins bumped right into his back. As the young cadets scrambled to get back in line, Sentinel turned his helm to the left; there was Convoy Corner. Sentinel turned his helm to the right; there was Saberhorn Way. The mech pulled up the map of where they needed to go, but...

_Scrap._

Sentinel Prime turned around, finding that the twins looked expectantly up at him. The Prime turned right back ‘round again. An optic twitched as he raised his servo to activate the comms.

“Hey S.P.! Ya almost here? She ain’t gettin’ any younger ya know!” Jazz cheerily greeted.

_“Hey!”_

Sentinel blinked as the sound of a servo smacking Jazz’s shoulder cracked over the comms. _Wait._ Why did that voice sound so familiar? He was really bad with designations, but he could have sworn he _knew_ that other bot. Said bot had to have been close to Jazz to even lay a servo on his armor, much less _playfully_ —

Wait. _Waiiiiiit._

When Sentinel Prime realized who it was, the palm of his servo rudely met with his face plates. Of all the civilians in the _entirety_ of the Commonwealth, it had to be  _her_?

 _“Ow_ , okay okay! You’re not— _damn it, femme I’m sorry_!"  There were two sets laughter from the other side of the line.

Once Sentinel snapped out of his initial shock, he asked flatly, “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” He shook off the  _yeck_ feeling from his circuits, waiting for Jazz (and her) to calm down.

“Oh no, no no uh, yeah, no. We’re good, we’re good.” Pedes that didn’t belong to the Cyber-Ninja moved out of the room. _Finally._ “But, seriously S.P., where are ya and the young bots?”

“...”

“...do ya need the directions again?” There was no condescension; Jazz wasn’t the type to rub it in.

Sentinel sighed. He pinched the metal between his optics. _“Yes,"_ he groused.

“A’right, listen carefully...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been working on this story for the better part of eight years or so. After TFA was given the axe, I had already a bunch of characters that I made in my head to interact with the main cast. For those of you that have followed me from other fanfic sites, you may recognize them from my previous versions of them. They've changed a lot since that period between early 2007 to mid-2009, if I'll be honest.
> 
> Then, I got my chance to try my hand at writing this story during 2016's NaNoWriMo. Ultimately, a lot of things have changed from /that/ as well. With that in mind, this would be the 'final draft' of that story.
> 
> I hope you, the audience, will enjoy following this band of my TFOCs as they go through the events of Transformers: Animated during Season 2, all the way to what should have been Season 4.
> 
> I thank you for your readership.


	2. Chapter I: Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While waiting on Sentinel Prime and the cadets to arrive, Jazz and Melody catch up with each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Taken from: 'Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac')
> 
> Measurements of Time: Nanoklik: ≈ 1 Earth Second; Cycle: ≈ 1.5 Earth Minutes; Megacycle: ≈ 2.6 Earth Hours; Solar Cycle: ≈ About A Day; Deca-Cycle: ≈ About 10 Days; Orbital Cycle: ≈ A Month; Stellar Cycle: ≈ A Year
> 
> Measurements of Distance: Mechanometer: ≈ 1 Meter; Hic: ≈ 1 Kilometer
> 
> Measurements of Weight: Standard Unit: ≈ 1 Kilogram; Kilounit: ≈ 454 standard Units

“...Uh huh,” Jazz nodded. “Yeah, and from there, just go straight up the road. The house is to the left. Yeah. See ya here.” He removed his servo from his comms, sighing deeply.

“How’re they coming along?”

“S.P.’s a big bot; he can handle himself.”

“It’s not  _h_ _im_ I’m worried about,” the black and white femme shook her helm. “I still can’t believe Magnus trusted him to bring these cadets over...”

“Hey, he’s doing his best,” Jazz reassured. He reached out and held her servo in his own. His thumb carefully rubbed over Melody’s knuckles, their digits gently scraping against each other. “At least he’s taking this seriously Mel...”

Mel couldn't help but sigh. There was that at least, she supposed.

Melody gave his servo a squeeze before she released him. She stepped away, gaze turned toward the front window. The heel of her servo rubbed against her lower chest-plates, settling under a large, round device. The contraption hummed a little louder than usual. She eventually caught Jazz looking at her, his lips a thin line.

“My appointment is tomorrow, sweet-spark,” Melody reminded, a small smile in reassurance.

“‘Bout time they got that clunky thing off of ya."

“Hey, this ‘clunky thing’,” Melody gestured to the gear-like contraption attached to her chest-plate—the back half magnetized to her back-strut—with an expression of utter seriousness, “has kept this old frame of mine kicking.”

“How long has the War been over already?”

“Jazz, it’s the ‘limited resources’.”

“Still, ain’t right to make ya wait _that_  long for a replacement. They gotta tune you up or tune out, old bot.” At playful jab of her being several millennia older than him, Melody gave him a smile.

“Well, I’m getting tuned up tomorrow!" She couldn't hide her excitement, bouncing as she shifted her weight from pede to pede. The doohickey she had on her chest-plates was indeed cumbersome. That didn't stop her from moving like a young bot, once in a while.

"Hopefully things between us can go on a little less...awkwardly,” she laughed, settling down once again. “Suture says he’s seen it already: it's a lot slimmer.”

At the mention of her brother-in-law, Jazz blinked.

“How're they doin'?”

Melody settled on the couch, tapping her digits on the sealed energon cube. “Him and Vanguard are still the same,” she stated, shrugging. 

“‘m sure they are,” Jazz murmured. He settled beside her, arm settling over her shoulders.

As one, their helms tilted toward each other until they touched. Mel popped the seal of the cube and took a few sips, contemplative.

“Remember their bonding ceremony?” she recalled. “We _all_ got drunk because they were too much to handle sober?”

“You mean  _y_ _ou_ getting drunk?" At the pointed look she gave him, Jazz shook his helm. "'Sides, they were adorable and you know it.”

“Poor Sparky," she enunciated sarcastically, a glint of playful derision in her tone.

“What? Wasn’t he happy for them?” Jazz played along.

At this, Melody rolled her optics. “Yeah he was—we _all_ were—but you forget how those two are! You haven’t been around them for as long as I have!”

Jazz laughed at her sardonic expression. His servo went up to cover his visor, the glass brightly illuminated by his hidden optics. Frame shaking, Jazz slid halfway off of the couch.

Melody’s optics glinted, brightening for a split nanoklik before returning to normal. A smile spread across her face. She scooched over, optics looking Jazz up and down from the side. Good, he was still laughing. Slowly but surely, she stretched out her arm and—!

 _“HEY!"_ Jazz squawked as he slipped off the couch. He turned right round, visor wide in shock. Mel calmly sipped her energon. Her lips were herky-jerky, optics betraying her mischief. Slowly, her gaze shifted back to Jazz.

He was standing now. The bot’s servos were on his hips, helm canted to the side. Mel set down her cube on the low table before her. They maintained optical contact with each other; cheeky smiles becoming apparent on the both of them.

Slowly, Jazz raised his servos. He wiggled his fingers threateningly. Mel's optics widened comically.

“Don’t.”

He inched closer.

 _“Don’t…!”_ She scooted herself in the opposite direction

He. Inched. _Closer._

“JAZZ DON’T-!”

Playfully roaring, he lunged at her. Mel flew off the couch, her laughter a high cackle as she scrambled to her landing pads. Jazz was on her heels.

 _"You_ …!” Jazz grinned devilishly. He tried to grab her, but she evaded his clutches easily.

“CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!”

**O*O*O**

“Wait, Mr. Sentinel Prime, sir,” Jetstorm shifted to the Prime’s right, “how you knowing this civilian bot?”

Sentinel shook his helm, hoping that was enough to temper their curiosity. They persisted. Sentinel Prime sighed, supplying cryptically, “...We just don’t get along.”

“Why?”

Sentinel looked up. His prayers were answered: their destination was up ahead. They made it up the short hill, only to pause a few mechanometers away from the door.

They could hear a bit of commotion from within. Pedes were running around and there was obnoxiously loud laughter that echoed throughout the house.

The twins looked at the front door in confusion. As one, they looked to Sentinel as he pressed the side of his helm. The Prime's optic twitched as he activated the comms.

**O*O*O**

_“WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT BEHAVING_!?” Sentinel Prime exploded over Jazz’s comm-link.

The Cyber-Ninja screeched to a halt, falling on his aft. The mech grabbed at the sides of his helm, back-strut bowed against the floor. Jazz groaned as he shook his helm back and forth, trying to recover from the audial-splitting feedback.

“Jazz?” Melody went back to him, concerned.

The mech immediately waved a servo around. _I'm alive_. Unsteadily, he sat upright. After getting his bearings, Jazz pressed his comm, sorely answering, _“S.P. ...”_

“What did I say about _maintaining professionalism_?” Sentinel replied tersely.

“Okay okay okay,” Jazz sighed. He straightened up. At Melody's inquisitive expression, Jazz mouthed ‘incoming’. She dashed off, hoping to make the guest room presentable in time.

Jazz returned his attention to his superior. “So what’s your ETA, S.P.?”

_Knock, knock-knock knock-knock knock!_

Jazz poked his helm out of the hallway, taking a gander toward the front window. He immediately saw the twins as they waved from the other side.

“Nows!” Jetfire and Jetstorm shouted through the glass. Jazz couldn't help but chuckle.

“Mel! We got company!”

Melody and Jazz met with each other at the front door. With a loud sigh, she murmured, “AllSpark help me keep my patience for the sake of these two cadets...”

“He ain’t  _that_ bad.”

“That’s only because you tune out only  _half_ of what this blowhard says, sweet-spark.”

“Easy...” Jazz forewarned.

“I know I know," Mel sighed once again. With a longer ex-vent, she muttered, "Okay, showtime...” Shoulders squared, Melody opened the door.

“Sentinel Prime,” she greeted flatly, helm tilted upward.

“Melody,” Sentinel nodded in turn.

“Come on in.” She moved aside, allowing Sentinel and the two cadets to come in. As the cadets passed her by, she forced her viz scanners to reboot. Her optics narrowed down the hall after them, only to broaden again as she heard one of the cadets speak. Her optics zipped back to Jazz, incredulous.

"Mel..." She felt his servos being placed on her shoulders, but she didn't look at him. Her attention was transfixed in the direction where the cadets were settled. "You gonna be okay, sweet-spark?"

"Remind me to rip Ultra Magnus a new one after this," Melody growled. She marched in after the Elite Guardsmechs, forcing Jazz to quickly shut the front door and secure the opaque, fiberglass blinds over the window. He went after her straightaway.

This was going to be fun...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The contraption that is over Melody's chest-plates (her Spark-Pacer) is inspired from Tracer's (Lena Oxton's) Chronal Accelerator from Overwatch, only Mel can't take it off. Mel would die in a matter of hours without it, and it would be a slow, painful death.


	3. Chapter II: I Concur, Sir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In private, Mel voices her concerns to Sentinel Prime. Surprisingly, they're on the same page.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Taken from: 'Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac')
> 
> Measurements of Time: Nanoklik: ≈ 1 Earth Second; Cycle: ≈ 1.5 Earth Minutes; Megacycle: ≈ 2.6 Earth Hours; Solar Cycle: ≈ About A Day; Deca-Cycle: ≈ About 10 Days; Orbital Cycle: ≈ A Month; Stellar Cycle: ≈ A Year
> 
> Measurements of Distance: Mechanometer: ≈ 1 Meter; Hic: ≈ 1 Kilometer
> 
> Measurements of Weight: Standard Unit: ≈ 1 Kilogram; Kilounit: ≈ 454 standard Units
> 
> A/N: This took longer than expected, but I am so glad I finally finished this chapter. I hope you enjoy!

They were half of a megacycle into the meeting already. Jetfire and Jetstorm were considered younglings, hence why Sentinel and Jazz were present whilst Melody asked them questions. Sentinel would interject with ‘that’s classified’ whenever needed. Melody was just a civilian bot. Well, a bot with enough importance to the High Council, whom sought out her services, but nonetheless, a civilian.

“I assume Jazz is teaching you two the basic techniques of the Cyber-Ninja Corps?” Melody’s optics shifted from the twins to the aforementioned bot.

“Mhm,” Jazz confirmed.

Jetfire and Jetstorm watched as she jotted this down into her data-pad. Her Cybertronian letters were small, each stroke measured but quick. She noticed the pair watching, smiling at them in acknowledgement before her scanners returned to her notes.

Sentinel shifted in his seat. He planted his servos upon the chair he sat in and leaned back. As his back-strut popped, he groaned.

“I think a break is in order,” Melody observed. She returned her stylus to its compartment within the data-pad. Stuffing the device into her sub-space, she went to grab a small tray of energon treats for her guests.

Upon the sight of those little sweets, Jetfire and Jetstorm’s viz scanners widened in unison. They looked to Sentinel Prime. Once the younglings got the nod, they dug in.

Melody excused herself, stepping toward the seated Prime. She tapped his shoulder as she exited to the corridor. Sentinel excused himself as well, leaving Jazz to mind the twins a little.

* * *

 

Sentinel found Melody at the end of the hall. The old femme had her back-strut to him, forehead against the wall.

The Elite Guardsmech paused. “Um...?” He took a few more steps toward her. He cleared his throat, hoping to get her attention—

“Are you drinking the same slag they’re drinking?” Melody stated flatly.

“I’m...I’m sorry?” Sentinel blinked, rebooting his audial receptors.

“Are you drinking the same slag those higher ups in Fortress Maximus are drinking!?” Melody turned around, her optics bright with anger. Sentinel back pedaled as she got right into his grill. She jabbed a digit at him and growled, “Do you know how _young_ these bots are!?”

“Yes, I am very aware of their ages, Melody,” Sentinel replied, straightening his back strut. His optical ridges soon furrowed. “Hey, you don’t think I-?”

“Why else would Magnus send you here?” Melody huffed.

“Orders are orders, Melody,” Sentinel sighed, exasperated. When her armor fluffed up, he backtracked, “And I’ll have you know that Jazz and I protested that course of action for the twins. You know how they came about already-and that's why I think the Council sent this case to _you,_ specifically.”

The femme scrutinized him, her Spark-Pacer humming loudly. She searched the Prime's face-plates had for lying, but none were acting up. 

Noticing her expression, Sentinel murmured, “If you don’t believe me, ask Jazz later. He can vouch for me.” 

“All right,” Mel relented, finally. She rubbed a servo over the heavy mod on her chest-plates. “I just haven’t seen cadets this young...and _this_ advanced in their training since the War...”

“That bad?” Sentinel inquired. At her nod, he exhaled a puff of air from his mouth. “Well, if there’s one thing from this,” Sentinel averted his gaze momentarily, “at least we know you’ll look out for them in their best interests.”

“Why Sentinel Prime,” Melody shifted her servo to cover the area over where her spark was housed, tone teasing, “dare I say that is a _nicest_ thing you’ve said to me, ever?” 

“Don’t get used to it.” Sentinel forewarned, fighting the smile pulling on his lips.

Mel let out a laugh. With a shake of her helm and a  _'_ _c’mon’,_ she led the way back to the guest room. By the time they returned, the energon treats were just about gone. The Prime offered the remainder of the snacks to her, but she pushed the platter back to his general direction. Sentinel popped one into his mouth, placing the rest into his sub-space.

“We miss anything?” Melody asked Jazz.

“Nah, you’re good,” he reassured. “These two were curious about you an’ me though.”

“Oh?” Melody glanced at the twins, who sheepishly looked away. “What did they ask?”

“I assure you nothing you wouldn’t want told,” the Cyber-Ninja reassured. He casually gestured to Sentinel, adding, “Plus he wants us to keep it on the DL, so...”

Melody laughed, the smile reaching her optics. After she settled down, she picked up the data-pad and pulled out her stylus.

Back to work.

* * *

When the time approached for the twins’ curfew, Sentinel suggested that they continue on another day. They all agreed.

Standing in the hallway before the front door, Melody gave Jazz some extra snacks for the him and the twins on the way back.

“This is a once every two deca-cycles set up,” Melody reminded. “Put a note on Sentinel’s desk or something in case he forgets-”

“We’ll make sure they get here on time and safe, Mel,” Jazz assured. He reached out, placing both servos on her shoulders. Gently squeezing them, he murmured, “You gonna be ok, sweet-spark…?”

**O*O*O**

Outside, Jetfire and Jetstorm were blabbering to Sentinel about what they learned about Miss Melody while with Mr. Jazz.

“She being in several battles-!”

“She knowing how to fly, but she needing a ship for that-!”

“Hahaha! Brother, Brother!” Jetfire reached out, grabbing the other’s shoulders and shaking him a little.

“Yes, Brother?” Jetstorm managed to keep his posture straight, despite being vigorously jostled by his twin.

“Maybe we can teaching Miss Melody to fly on her own?” Jetfire’s amber optics sparkled in glee at the thought.

“Ah, ah ah!” Sentinel interjected, concern all over his face-plates. When they deflated, he quickly added, “Um, until the two of you are properly licensed I don’t think that’d be able to happen.” When that didn’t work, Sentinel offered them some treats from his sub-space. The sight of those little cubes lifted their spirits immediately. Without a second thought, the younglings grabbed them and stuffed the morsels into their mouths.

As the Prime looked up, he caught sight of Jazz and Melody affectionately nuzzling each other. Sentinel shuddered, a queasy sensation bubbling in his tanks, and a heavy ache resonated within his chest-plates. 

Luckily, the pair stopped soon enough. Jazz bade her farewell, warmth completely coloring his tone. The twins snickered as Sentinel rolled his optics. The Prime shook off the phantom weight within his chest-plates, turning to go.

Once the twins each said their goodbyes to Miss Melody, they were on the road back to Fortress Maximus.

Thank the AllSpark; Sentinel wasn’t sure how much more he could take.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: When Jazz and Mel are nuzzling, it's a form of a kiss (at least what I think would equate to a kiss on Cybertron). ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


End file.
